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THE WONDER DOG

In some ways, Franklin has been having a rough time.

On Friday, the house was invaded by 12 family folk from back east. Confusion.

He doesn't much like the pool splashing so that makes things a bit tight negotiating his back yard.

Then Saturday morning a hundred seats were put up in the back area beyond the pool. "This area is for the three p's—patrolling, peeing, and pooping. Not sitting. What is this?"

Then a hundred more people showed up at 2 PM.

We have done this before. I had a birthday party with about a hundred visitors.

He does very well with this. He walks all the time from person to person, gets pets, moves on to the next. Very social. But always on the move.

And that was his strategy yesterday. We had a young dog whisperer keep his eye on Franklin in case he took it in mind to leave or something untoward. But nothing of that kind happened at all.

We were in the guest room, waiting and hiding, so we could not see this.

We waited. The City Councilman came. We signed the papers (actually getting married before we got married at least on paper).

The family and best men gathered. We went outside to wait for our cues and just minutes before we were going to walk in, here comes Franklin. Through the guest room out the door and into the center of our gathering. Always the center.

Everyone made a fuss over him.

He waited with us and when we walked in he came right along right to the head of the gathering. Next to John and me.

He sat through the short service. As we finished and kissed, the people clapped and he barked!

A sharp loud arf!

Jaws dropped.

Later we were accused of training him to do it on cue. No. It is just Franklin's wise way with the world. He has an uncanny ability to pick up his cues and, more importantly, to act on them.

We recessed and he came along and then joined us for the toasts.

I don't remember his being in the recieving line with us until a bit later when things thinned out.

He came up, sat on my foot (a favorite place to sit if you are his special friend) and viewed the scene.

Last night, the best men, in an extraordinary burst of energy, took down all the chairs and we put the entire house back in shape.

Franklin is greatly relieved at this.

Tomorrow morning all the people will be gone and just the three of us will remain. A sigh of relief and some sleep.

He has not taken a nap for two days. He is still asleep in his bed as I type. Two hours after I got up.

It is hard work to be the family Airedale.

Labels: Franklin, gay wedding, wedding